BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

When I was a child, living on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, my family would drive to Virginia every Sunday. In the Spring and Summer, we would meet relatives somewhere in beautiful Virginia near a river or on Skyline Drive. My Aunt Dorothy would bring this delicious old fashioned buttermilk cake. 

2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda

½ t fine sea salt
¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 t pure vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and sugar.

Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Blend in the buttermilk, alternately with flour mixture, into the creamed mixture. 

Using a rubber spatula, transfer batter into the prepared pan.

Smooth top with an off set spatula or a table knife.

Bake in center of oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting the cake.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ t fine sea salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and vanilla until smooth.
Beat on high another 2 minutes.

Lower speed to medium and add sugar, alternating with cream.
Beat until it is a good spreading consistency.

Spread frosting onto cooled cake, either in the pan or on a platter.

Cut into 9 squares or 12 smaller squares.